Bioenergy is a term often debated due to its range of interpretations. Encompassing diverse methods and technologies—such as combustion, gasification, pyrolysis, extraction, fermentation, and anaerobic digestion—it can be collectively understood as renewable energy derived from recently living organic materials.

Indonesia’s biomass powerhouse

Indonesia boasts abundant biomass resources, among the largest globally, stemming from vast plantations of timber and oil plants. The highest biomass potential is concentrated in Sumatra (North, Riau, South), Kalimantan, and Java. Key biomass sources in Indonesia include palm oil, sugar cane, rubber, coconut, rice, corn, cassava, wood, bamboo, and livestock manure 🌴🍚🧉🌽🐂. Of these, palm oil dominates, offering the highest potential (39%) and usage, followed by rice husk (30%).

The environmental impact of palm oil🌴has drawn global scrutiny over the past decade, especially in Europe, where its production process and deforestation effects are heavily criticized. Nonetheless, palm oil remains the most land-efficient crop for energy production, delivering a high energy yield per hectare with a lower water footprint than many other bioenergy crops. This doesn’t negate environmental concerns but suggests that criticism might benefit from a more nuanced perspective. The core question, then, isn’t just about palm oil but whether biomass as a whole is a genuinely greener alternative to coal. The Indonesian government believes it is.

Co-Firing as a pillar of Indonesia’s Bioenergy Strategy

Not only the government aims for bioenergy to contribute around 4 GW of net capacity by 2060, but it has also set ambitious targets to increase biomass use through a practice called co-firing, in which biomass is partially substituting coal as fuel in power plants. The state-owned electricity provider PLN announced in 2022 that biomass would contribute 10% of power generation by 2050💡, with co-firing planned across 52 units. The incentivization of biomass through co-firing is also explicitly stated in the latest RUPTL (General Plan for the provision of electricity). This approach aligns with Indonesia’s goals for phasing out coal🐾, cutting emissions, and expanding renewable energy. With one of the largest and youngest coal fleets globally, Indonesia sees significant potential in co-firing as a transitional technology, moving the country closer to a cleaner energy future.

To meet future domestic biomass demand, Indonesia plans to subsidize “dedicated energy plantation forests” (HTE). The topic of “biomass-for-energy” is currently popular and was spotlighted during major recent international gatherings, including the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia, and the ASEAN summit in Laos. During these events, recent research raised concerns😟 about the indirect consequences of electricity production from biomass.

Concerns Over Co-Firing

One major concern is deforestation🌳🪚 (Figure 1, Figure 2). According to the latest RUPTL, Indonesia’s co-firing goals will require at least 8 million tons of wood biomass annually, but current production capacity is under 1 million tons per year. Analysis by clean energy think tank Trend Asia estimates that meeting this demand would require 2.3 million hectares of energy plantation forests—an area four times the size of Bali.

Biomass burning 🔥 also raises concerns about greenhouse gas emissions🌏🏭. Burning biomass releases similar levels of CO2 emissions as coal. A key factor in terms of its ecological footprint is the source of the biomass. If the biomass used to generate energy is truly waste material, the environmental impact can be positive. However, if crops are grown explicitly to be burned for electricity production, the environmental benefit starts to dim. Indeed, when accounting for land-use changes, such as converting forests into plantations, biomass burning results in higher overall emissions per unit of energy produced, since plantations can store and sequester less carbon than natural forests.

Lastly, the expansion of biomass production also introduces social challenges👥, including potential land grabbing and displacement of indigenous communities.

From waste to wealth 💰

The pressure on Indonesia’s biomass resources intensifies further when considering also the international demand. Once considered a “waste product,” wood pellets🪵—one of the main fuels for biomass co-firing—have now become a lucrative commodity. Indonesia is exporting massive quantities to countries like Japan and South Korea, both of which are pivoting from coal to biomass as part of their energy transition plans.

Unforeseen policy outcomes

Cofiring exemplifies the “green paradox”—when well-intentioned environmental policies lead to unintended consequences. Intended to promote renewable energy, co-firing can potentially increase overall carbon emissions and delay true energy transitions. Indonesia’s biomass co-firing policy may thus offer valuable lessons for other nations📣, helping them craft efficient strategies towards renewable energy.

An opportunity for municipal waste

In a world racing against climate change🕗, resources should prioritize the most effective 🏹, proven solutions. A far more promising avenue for biomass currently explored in Indonesia is the production of energy from municipal waste. Plans are underway for municipal waste power plants at landfill sites in the country’s 12 biggest cities, with two (in Surabaya and Solo) already operational. This form of renewable energy not only targets a biomass type which is truly waste, thereby addressing waste management♻️, but it also reduces open burning and public landfills, which pose health risks to local communities.

About the writer:

Originally from Ticino, the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland, Valeria Renna is an Environmental Sciences graduate of ETH Zürich (2022). After gaining 1.5 years of experience in environmental impact assessments within rural-mountainous areas of Switzerland, she joined the Renewable Energy Skills Development (RESD) project team in Jakarta as a researcher.